I bought green shirts and I am wearing them. I have turned my twitter icon temporarily green. I keep getting up from the middle of other tasks and checking on events in Iran, even though I am usually far more disciplined. But I thought I should write down some reasons since my family asked, and since it’s useful rumination.
- The futurist in me is totally fascinated by the role social media and worldwide transparency are playing.
- The writer is fascinated by the stories and raw emotion. Everyone is emotional. I cried when I saw Neda’s death. How pointless.
- The American in me does not believe religion and government should be all mixed up together. Both are better and stronger if separated.
- Watching the unrest in Iran is being part of something, perhaps something big, that is happening in the world.
- There is a bit of adrenaline in this. Just being honest.
- I am hopeful for positive change. Ahmadinejad with nukes is scary. I would like Iran to be a country I am not afraid of.
- (And I think this is the biggest one for most Americans) – I believe in freedom, and I believe that freedom needs honest elections. If – at the core – that is what the Iranians are fighting for, it is worth it to me.
- I have found Iran interesting since I read two books. One was “Reading Lolita in Tehran, by Azar Nafisi” and the other was “The Ends of the Earth: From Togo to Turkmenistan, From Iran to Cambodia, a Journey to the Frontiers of Anarchy, by Robert D. Kaplan“
Some things I am not “For”
- Formal government action by the US. This is not ours to solve. It would probably backfire. Read some of the posts at the Tehran Bureau if you don’t agree – they are in first person and more eloquent than I could be on this subject. We can help and we can cheer, we can retweet and write, but there is no other useful role for us.
- I am not particularly “for” Mousavi. Nor against him. My vote is irrelevant on this issue, as it should be.
I hope my support is useful to even a few Iranians, or that it helps keep the attention here on the events there. This is worth watching and helping where we can, as individuals.
What do you think?
My reasons are very similar to yours, but I have an additional one–I was asked to teach a technology class to middle school students this fall, touching not only on computer software and keyboarding but on 21st century technology skills above and beyond the computer. However this unfolds, I know I’d be remiss if I didn’t address the events in Iran and the role tech is playing in it in some manner.
And yes, I am planning to use Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother as part of the class!
I had no idea this was going on. Thanks for letting us know.